BEST?

National Gallery Corrects the Record – The London museum renamed a Degas painting formerly known as Russian Dancers to Ukrainian Dancers following calls on social media to clarify the facts.

“Invisible” Artwork Sells for $1 Million – A receipt for an invisible artwork by Yves Klein sold for more than $1 million at Sotheby’s.

Darwin’s Notebooks Returned – In a delightful twist to a decades-old story, two of Charles Darwin’s notebooks were anonymously returned to the Cambridge University Library after they were feared lost forever.

Expo Chicago Lights Up the Windy City – Navy Pier in downtown Chicago breezed back to life after Expo’s years-long, Covid-induced absence.

Collectors Clamor for Con Artists’s Work – It’s no scam. Collectors are itching to get a hold of artwork by notorious con artist Anna Delvey.

Authorities Seize Antiquities From Yale – U.S. authorities seized more than $1 million in Asian antiquities that passed through the hands of disgraced dealer Subhash Kapoor.

Picasso Goes to Auction – One of Picasso’s prime paintings of his muse Marie-Thérèse Walter could fetch up to $60 million when it hits the auction block at Sotheby’s.

Jordon Wolfson Joins Gagosian – The mega-gallery nabbed joint representation, along with David Zwirner and Sadie Coles, forming a power trio of support for the enfant terrible.

WORST?

Donald Baechler Has Died – The artist, who worked in a variety of media and often focused on childlike, deceptively simple imagery, died at age 65 from cardiac arrest.

No One Wants This Caravaggio-Painted Villa – For the second time, a $410 milllion Roman villa failed to find a buyer, despite housing the only ceiling mural Caravaggio ever painted.

Inigo Pleads for Leniency – The incarcerated art dealer Inigo Philbrick is making a last-ditch effort for a lenient sentence, appealing to the courts with letters testifying to his good character.

Mega-Collector’s Yacht Seized – The oligarch and former Tate donor Viktor Vekselberg’s $90 million superyacht was seized by authorities in Spain with the aid and direction of U.S. intelligence.

Fugitive Billionaire Selling Goods at Auction – Joseph Lau is selling fine wine and art at Christie’s and Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, where he lives as a fugitive after a conviction in Macau.

Finland Stops Sending Art to Russia – As part of sanctions imposed on Russian exports, Finland seized $46 million worth of art that was set to travel to Russian museums.